Chapter 1: Foretelling
Cold wind brushed his face as he stood on the ship's deck. It felt familiar, as Zuko had spent three years on a ship hunting the avatar. The only difference now was that this ship was airborne.
The night sky was filled with stars shining down on him. Zuko often wondered if those stars could be distant worlds. Worlds without bending, without an avatar. It was unlikely that such places existed, but it was nice to dream, to imagine a place of peace, kindness, and love. Long ago, Zuko had made a promise to usher in a new era of peace and love. As Fire Lord, he had given his all to ensure that dream became a reality. Unfortunately, progress was slow.
Zuko had become the new Fire Lord at sixteen, nearly a decade ago, and in that time, very little had changed.
The former Fire Nation colonies had transformed into the New Republic of the United Nations. He had made peace with all nations and provided for their needs for the past decade, yet it was never sufficient.
While the world saw him as a hero for ending the hundred-year war alongside the avatar, his nation remained divided. Some viewed him as a worthy leader guiding them into a new era, while others saw him as a traitor who seized the throne from their beloved former Fire Lord.
"My Lord," his advisor's voice snapped him back to reality, and he turned to face the man who had been by his side throughout this journey. "We are nearing the capital." The man's eyes remained fixed on him, as if afraid to look away, uncertain of the Fire Lord's reaction.
Zuko attempted to eradicate the fear instilled by his father in the entire Nation, but some things were more challenging to eliminate than others. Unlike his father, Zuko aimed to govern with the respect derived from his kindness, rather than the fear his predecessor had relied on.
"Very well. Upon our arrival, please notify the fire sages that I wish to speak with them. Afterward, you may rest for the time being." He stated, turning to face the swiftly approaching borders of his nation.
"As you command, my Lord," the adviser replied, turning to depart and leaving the Fire Lord alone on deck.
Zuko heard the adviser's footsteps fade as he exited the room and closed the door behind him.
Zuko sighed. It had been two months since he departed his home to journey to the Earth Nation. He required the king's support to quell the growing rebellion among the commoners of his Nation.
The Fire Nation military had once been the most powerful military in the world, and it likely still was. However, much of the economy during the war had been focused on expanding the nation and depleting the resources of conquered territories.
Following the war, much of the nation lay in ruins, and he had spent many years restoring the Fire Nation to its former glory. Unfortunately, as he had discovered during his time as Fire Lord, many of these issues could not be resolved quickly. Additionally, both the Earth and Water Nations demanded reparations for the suffering caused by previous Fire Lords.
It took Zuko years to earn the trust of the other nations and gain their acceptance of him and his vision for the world's future. However, this only allowed the New Ozai society to flourish.
He discovered that not all the generals were loyal to him, causing a division within the Nation and the army.
Rumors of an impending civil war circulated, suggesting that The Fire Lord would be too preoccupied with global matters to notice, but Zuko remained vigilant.
Whenever he traveled abroad, he instructed General Taoh and his unit to guard the palace. Taoh, one of his most reliable generals, was willing to stand by his side no matter what, making him one of the few individuals Zuko could rely on to protect his family.
At his mother's suggestion, Zuko considered bringing his uncle, Iroh, who resided in Ba Sing Se, to assist with negotiations. However, he declined, insisting that his uncle stay with his mother in case of emergencies. The idea of losing his mother again was unbearable, especially since Izumi needed her as a maternal figure following Mai's passing.
The memory of his beloved's death still haunted him. It had been almost two years since her passing, yet Zuko could still feel the same pain he experienced that day.
Izumi was only three years old, yet she already lacked a mother and had a practically non-existent father.
He planned to reunite with his little girl soon, taking her to the same turtleduck pond where he used to spend time as a child. There, he would play with her and read to her, just like his mother did with him.
Zuko smiled at the thought, but his smile quickly faded, replaced by horror in his eyes as he gazed out of the window. What he saw sent shivers down his spine. Terror consumed him, reminiscent of the fear he felt when his father once demanded him to stand up and fight.
He witnessed his darkest nightmare becoming a reality.
He witnessed the Capital City being engulfed in flames.
Zuko jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. He struggled to regain his breath and process what he had just witnessed.
He had always been plagued by nightmares, but recently they had taken a darker turn, focusing on unfamiliar scenarios. In one such dream, he found himself bowing before his father, pleading for forgiveness. Instead of granting it, his father cruelly scorched the left side of his face.
Initially dismissed as typical nightmares, further scrutiny raised unsettling questions. Why did he have full control of his body and mind in these dreams, unlike his usual lack of agency? Why did the pain feel so agonizingly real? Why was he locked in a fierce battle with his father, who now appeared as the Fire Lord?
The mystery unraveled when, in a subsequent nightmare, a messenger delivered news to his mother: their cousin Lu Ten had fallen in battle, and Iroh had abandoned the siege.
Subsequent nightmares depicted different stages of his life, yet all shared a common thread - a haunting scar etched on the left side of his face.
Zuko had not shared this with anyone. If Azula had discovered it, she would have used it against him.
Lately, he began piecing together all these dreams to form a timeline. First, Lu Ten's death, then his mother's disappearance and his father becoming Fire Lord, followed by the Agni Kai, his scarring, and banishment. Some time later, he found and joined the Avatar, defeated Azula in an Agni Kai, and ascended to the position of Fire Lord. After that, the details became blurred. He had a daughter with Mai, but she passed away. He brought peace to the world, yet his own country was engulfed in war.
These were not mere nightmares; they held a deeper significance. Could this be a chance to make things right, a second opportunity for everything? The only way to know was to see if the events in the coming days aligned with his nightmares. Unfortunately, the first event to unfold would be one of the most agonizing.